IF11084 – Redirecting Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Resources During National Emergencies – 2/26/2019

Description

Author: Nicole T. Carter, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy

Release Date: 2/26/2019

Number of Pages: 2

Price: $5.99

In January 2019, news outlets reported that the Trump Administration was investigating redirecting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) civil works funds to construct physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. USACE is an agency in the Department of Defense (DOD) that performs both military and civil works activities. Section 923 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (WRDA 1986; 33 U.S.C. ?2293) provides the Secretary of the Army authority to redirect civil works resources in the event of a declared war or national emergency that requires or may require use of the Armed Forces. On February 15, 2019, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border; 33 U.S.C. ?2293 was not among the authorities invoked in the President?s proclamation.